Brisbane’s downtown has a relaxed vibe, good for taking in a show or going for a walk in the cultural precinct at South Bank. In this area across the river from the central business district are art galleries and venues which hostexhibitions, theatre, dance, festivals, and other arts and performance events year-round. The Queensland Performing Arts Complex houses small and large touring shows, and the neighbouring Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art—with river views to get lost in—have fans of fine and modern art covered. Performance-lovers wanting to see more independent shows can head into the city itself to the intimate Metro Arts Building, while edgy multi-arts, music and comic events are at the Brisbane Powerhouse.

Three hours outside of Brisbane, the air changes and you enter a part of Queensland unlike the rest of the state. This is the Granite Belt, high up on the Great Dividing Range, where the air 1,000 metres above sea level provides a climate atypical of Queensland. The area is far more suitable to harvesting fruit—the region produces most of the state’s apples—than surfing or crocodile-spotting. It has even been known to snow.

Europeans settled this green pocket in the early to mid-20th Century, bringing with them their culture and traditions, particularly those related to food. Italian, German, Dutch and Spanish settlers arrived and brought their bread, coffee, and pastry -making skills, which are now continued by their descendants or like-minded Australian counterparts.

Australian indigenous culture is extremely rich and varied, and in Queensland some of the best places to experience it for yourself are in the far North’s rainforests and beaches. In and around Brisbane, however, options do exist.

Back in Brisbane, aboriginal art trails have been created in natural settings in the greater metropolis. The Mount Coot-tha Trail features aboriginal art in a natural landscape, while the trail at Boondall Wetlands uses sculpture to tell of how the indigenous clans worked with the region’s flora and fauna. At the Mount Coot-tha Botanical Gardens, the aboriginal plant trail has been created to engage visitors with the plants traditionally used as food, medicine and to create weapons. Not far from Brisbane, en route to the Sunshine Coast, the annual six-day Dreaming Festival celebrates aboriginal culture.

Culture on the coast

Queensland is often referred to as “The Sunshine State”, and Brisbane is lucky to be located very close to excellent beaches both north and south of the city: the Sunshine Coast, to the north, and the Gold Coast, to the south. Both live up to their names. “You find the lot there,” says Ben. “From surfers to beach-lovers, holidaying families, couples, travellers and anyone in-between!”

Culture in and around Queensland’s Brisbane is varied and not only found in galleries and museums. To try it for yourself, head to the beach, seek it out in neighbouring towns or taste it in a flavourful dish or glass of wine. South-East Queensland’s culture lives and breathes in the fresh produce, sea, diverse cuisine, surf, folk, indigenous, music, and multi-arts in and around Brisbane. Come and try it for yourself!